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1917. NEW ZEALAN D.

MENTAL HOSPITALS OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON) FOR 1916.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Hon. the Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives to His Excellenoy the Governor. My Lord, — Wellington, 2nd June, 1917. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Inspector-General of Mental Defectives for the year 1916. I have, &0., G. W. Russell, Minister in Charge of Department for the Care of Mental Defectives.

The Inspector-General to the Hon. the Minister in Charge of the Department for the Care of Mental Defectives. Sir,— Wellington, Ist June, 1917. I herewith present the report for the year ended 31st December, 1916. A summary and analysis of the statistical tables in the appendix shows : The number of patients on the register at the beginning of the year was 4,200 (m., 2,448; f., 1,752); at the end 4,375 (m.j 2,555; f., 1,820) —an increase of 175 (in., 107; f., 68). The total number under care during the year was 5,135 (m., 3,016; f., 2,119), being 144 (m., 147) more than in 1915; while the average number resident, 4,251 (m., 2,483; f., 1,768) was 157 (m., 92; f., 65) in excess. The ratio of patients on the register to population, exclusive of Maoris, was 3946 per 10,000 (m., 45*89; f„ 32*97), or 1 patient in 253 (m., 218; f., 303); including Maoris—their number on the register is 38 only—the figures are 38*08 per .10,000 (m., 44-17; f., 31*90), or 1 in 263 (m., 226; f., 313). The admissions (excluding transfers—in., 50; f., 6) numbered 879 (m., 518; f., 361); the male admissions were 68 higher than, and the female the same as, in the previous year. Among these admissions are included 18 immigrants (3 with a history of previous attacks) who had been here for less than a year. Of the 879 cases admitted, one-sixth were of patients who had previously been treated to recovery in our institutions, leaving the number of first admissions 737 (m., 449; f., 288), an increase, compared with 1915, of 86 (m., 71; f., 15). The ratio of admissions to population (excluding Maoris) was 7*Bo per 10,000, and for first admissions 654; or, in other words, every 1,282 persons in the general population contri-

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